Time After Time

Kate avoided the town centre in case she bumped into her brothers, or worse, her mum. So, instead of taking the bus, she walked the three miles to school. She hurried through Newtown and slipped along a muddy path to the canal. She was safer here; the only other person on the canal bank was an old man walking a Border Collie. The dog ran to Kate and jumped at her, pushing its head under her hand.

“Here Maggie,” called the old man.

“She’s lovely.”

Kate crouched and stroked the dog, which licked her face.

“You’re gorgeous aren’t you? You didn’t name her after nasty Maggie Thatcher?”

“You mean the one who used to be in charge of Education?” He laughed. “They called her the Milk Snatcher, destroyed her career. Why would you think of her?”

The world tilted on its axis.

“Are you ok chuck? You look like you’re going to faint?”

“Sorry, this must sound like a stupid question but who is the Prime Minister?”

“I don’t know what they’re teaching you young ’uns in school these days. I left school when I as fourteen, but even I could always name the Prime Minister.”

“Who is it?”

“Michael Foot, for now anyway. He won’t last much longer, what with the miners’ strike He should have kept the bloody pits open. Heseltine would have done the same, whatever he says. Are you sure you’re ok?”

Kate ran up the concrete steps of a bridge, and crossed the canal, leaving the old man shaking his head. On the other side, she walked through industrial units, under a bridge and onto a terraced street. It was almost lunchtime. Kate knew of a shop where many of the kids and some of the teachers went at lunchtime. Hermes went there every day for a pie, so this was the best chance she had to speak to him. Five minutes later, she crouched, waiting in an alley next to the shop.

“What are you doing in the bins Mellonhead? Looking for your dinner?”

It was Sam Gough. His brother, who stood next to him, made a sound that could have been laughter or a pig impression.

“Why don’t you go for a jog on the motorway?” Kate said.

“You think you’re clever. Wait until McLaughlin finds your boyfriend. He’s been waiting at the school gates all morning. We should take you to see him now.”

Sam moved forward to grab her but as he did, Kate swung her foot kicking him in the shins. He bent over in pain and Kate shoved him into his oncoming brother. She strolled out of the alley as they scrambled to their feet.

Hermes’s ancient scooter spluttered around the corner, parking outside the pie shop. He smiled as if he had expected to find her there.

“Hop on.” He threw Kate a spare cap and goggles. She pulled them on, climbed onto the vehicle behind her teacher, and they drove off. A few minutes later, they were in the school car park.

“Quick,” said Hermes. He led the way across the yard, into the school and straight to the library.

“You’ll be safe here; it’s the one place no one ever comes, apart from you and Ms. Hobbes.” He smiled and waved to the librarian. The spinsterish middle-aged woman peered at them over her spectacles. She pulled her cardigan tighter.

“Pete has disappeared,” said Kate.

The old man sat at a table in the corner, and gestured for Kate to take a seat. The bell rang for the afternoon’s lesson.

“I have to return to class now, to teach you as a matter of fact. You must stay here for the rest of the afternoon. When school closes, return to Tom and take him to find Sophie. Don’t worry about Piotr; I have an idea of what might have happened to him. I will deal with it. There is one thing I need you to do for me.”

The old man got up, walked over to the bookcases, and returned with a small volume. He dropped it on the table where it landed with a thud. The book was ancient. Kate rubbed dust away with her fingers. She revealed a deep red leather cover inscribed with a gold staff entwined with serpents.

“What does the symbol mean? I’ve been seeing it everywhere.”

“There’s no time. Everything you need to know is in this book. It will take a long time to decipher but you are one of the few people capable of doing so. Look after it.”

Kate opened the book and flicked through a few pages. It full of strange symbols and drawings.

“Hermes. How am I supposed to understand any of this?”

Kate looked up but he was gone.

It was only an hour since Kate had left, but Tom was already fidgety. He flicked through Hermes’s books, examined the strange clocks, and made a cup of tea and a sandwich. It was odd how time seemed to stretch out when you were waiting for something. He decided he would have a look in the immediate area surrounding the garden. He wandered around the back of the cottage, and peered over a hedge. An overgrown wasteland, littered with plastic shopping bags and half-crushed cans of beer. Tom walked back to the front of the house and through the door.

“Look what the cat dragged in,” said Lancaster strolling out of the kitchen. He picked up a rolling pin and hit Tom over the head. As Tom crawled away, the last thing he was aware of was the smell of a dusty leather boot slamming into his face.